Hanuman - Lesson 1

Hanuman is one of the dearest of all the great gods of Hinduism. He has the shape and form
of a monkey. A long time ago, there lived a race of monkeys that were very smart and very
powerful. These were called Vanaras. They dont live on Earth anymore. They are not like
ordinary monkeys. They were semi divine. Hanuman was a Vanara.

Hanuman was born to Anjana Devi, and Vayu, the God of Wind. Hanuman is also called
Anjaneya, son of Anjana. Remember Lord Shiva? Hanuman is an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

People worship Hanuman for strength and courage, and to get wisdom. They worship him to
get rid of fear. Bad things run away when Hanuman comes near. Hanuman is the greatest
devotee of Lord Sri Rama. Ramas wife, Sita gave him immortality.

Questions: Is it good to be strong? Is it good to have courage? Can you think of a time when
you needed courage? If you had to choose, would you rather have wisdom or physical
strength? Is it better to be afraid or to have inner strength?

Who was Hanumans mother? What was his fathers name? Who was his father? Who is he
an incarnation of?
Story 1: Hanuman Flies to the Sun

Hanuman has the appearance of a monkey, so we think of him like a monkey. But he only
looked like a monkey! He was a member of a semi-divine race called Vanaras, which lived on
the Earth probably more than a million years ago.

Because he was an incarnation of Shiva, even when he was practically a baby he could do just
about anything. Do you have any younger brothers or sisters? Do you know how, when they
see anything interesting, they try and reach out and grab it? Hanuman was just like this when
he was a baby.

When he was an infant, Hanuman was looking at the sky. In the sky he saw the Sun. It looked
like a big orange. He thought Oh, I think I will fly up and grab that orange and eat it. So he
flew up in the sky towards the sun. Can you or I fly to the Sun? Of course not! We dont have
this power. We would need a rocket ship! And even with a rocket ship, we could not fly to the
Sun, because it would get too hot. But Hanuman was not like you or I. Anything was possible
for him, even when he was a baby.
So Hanuman flew up with great speed. Because he was the son of the Wind God, Vayu, he
could travel anywhere at great speed. In no time at all, he flew millions of miles to the Sun.

Do you know who lives in the Sun? Do you know who Surya is? Surya is the Sun God. He lives
on the planet Sun. He is the source of all the energy on the Sun. Surya is a great yogi. He
provides the light and energy which sustains everything in our solar system. If it were not for
Surya and the energy in the Sun, everything would die instantly. Surya is a great individual and
deserves our gratitude and worship. If you get electricity from the electric company, they ask
for a lot of money. But Surya provides zillions watts of energy to the Earth every day but never
asks for any payment.

Hanuman reached the Sun, and he saw Surya, who looked like a big tasty orange. So he
opened up his mouth and put Surya inside. Surya, who is peaceful, did not object. What do
you think happened? Without Surya, the whole solar system went dark. On Earth, they
thought it was a solar eclipse, which is where the Sun goes dark. Hanuman was a vegetarian.
He soon realized that Surya was not a fruit but a living being. Surya did not taste like an
orange. So he spit Surya back out. Then the light in the solar system came back.

When the universe became dark, all the gods became very alarmed. Indra is King of the gods.
He lives in Indraloka, his own heaven. When Indra saw the universe go dark he wondered
Who is doing something to the Sun God? Are we under attack? He mounted his big
elephant Airavata, and moved very quickly to see the Sun and see what was going wrong.
Remember, Hanuman is only a little baby, right? When little babies see an elephant, what do
they do? They would think it is another toy to play with, right? So Hanuman began
rushing towards Indra.

Even though he is King of the gods, Indra does not know everything. He did not know
Hanuman was a baby or an incarnation of Shiva. He thought he might be a big demon. Only
he saw this creature, who had just swallowed and spit out Surya, coming towards him. So he
became frightened.

Indra has a terrible weapon. Does anyone know what this is? It is called Vajrayudha
(thunderbolt)! When seeing Hanuman rush at him, he threw his thunderbolt at Hanuman. It
hits Hanuman right on the chin. This is why Hanuman has a split in his chin. It knocks
Hanuman unconscious, like he is dead.
Remember now, who is Hanumans father? Vayu. Vayu is the god of wind. Hanuman was
very dear to Vayu. He was very upset that Indra would kill his son. He says, Well, if that is the
way they want to treat my son, then I also will not treat anyone very well. I will stop all winds
from blowing in the whole solar system (but not on Earth, as they are not responsible). So, all
the winds dried up. Pretty soon there was no air for anyone to breathe! Now everyone was
alarmed again! They all came to Vayu to beg his forgiveness.

Remember Lord Brahma? He created the universe. He came and brought Hanuman back to
life. In fact, he gave Hanuman a boon. Who knows what a boon is? It is like a gift. Brahma
gave Hanuman the boon of immortality. Surya, the Sun God, gave him one 1/100th of his
brightness. Indra gave him his thunderbolt. Agni, the Fire God, said fire will never burn him.
All the gods apologized to Vayu and gave Hanuman different gifts, especially all their powerful
weapons, which were more powerful than nuclear bombs. This is the story of the day
Hanuman swallowed Surya, the Sun God.

Questions: Why did Hanuman think the Sun was an orange in the sky? How was Hanuman
able to fly to the Sun? Who was his father? What was Indras weapon?

Story 2: Hanuman and the Saints

When Hanuman was a young child, he lived near an ashram where the saints used to practice
their Vedic ceremonies. They loved Hanuman, but he was a mischievous child. It was like
having a monkey playing in your living room! Like a monkey, Hanuman would climb up in the
trees. But because he was so heavy, the trees would fall down with a crash. Sometimes they
would fall and it would stop the religious ceremonies, or break big jars where clarified butter,
called ghee, or other items were stored.

Because Hanuman loved playing, and had such great strength, he was creating a lot of
problems. So one day they came to his Mother Anjani, and told her We have put a curse on
your son. Does anyone know what a curse is? Usually it is a very bad thing, right? So when
they told Hanumans mother this, she got very frightened. But then they said No, no, it is not
a bad curse. It is only to keep him out of real trouble. We have cursed him so that he will not
remember his own strength unless someone reminds him of it. To this day, Hanuman only
remembers his own strength when we chant his praises reminding him of his great strength.

Questions: Why was a curse put on Hanuman? Why do we chant his praises?
CROSSWORD

1 2 3

5 13 12

10

11

ACROSS
3 Who gave immoratality to Hanuman
4 Creator of Universe
5 Hanuman is a great devotee of
7 Indra's vehicle
10 Hanuman's mother
11 King of Gods
DOWN
1 Hanuman is an incarnation of
2 Indra's weapon
3 Who is the Sun God?
6 Who put curse on Hanuman?
8 Hanumna is a semi-divine race called
9 God of Wind
12 Hanumans other name
13 Hanumans shape and form is a
Drawing Exercise: Use Crayons to Color Hanuman
 Hanuman Chalisa with English Translation

WEEK 1:

Jai Hanuman gyana guna sagar Victory to thee, O'Hanuman! Ocean of Wisdom-All

Jai Kapisa tihun loka ujagara hail to you O'Kapisa! (fountain-head of power,wisdom
and Shiva-Shakti) You illuminate all the three worlds
(Entire cosmos) with your glory.

Rama doota atulita bala dhama You are the divine messenger of Shri Ram. The
Anjani-putra Pavana suta nama repository of immeasurable strength, though known
only as Son of Pavan (Wind), born of Anjani.

Mahavira Vikram Bajrangi With Limbs as sturdy as Vajra (The mace of God Indra)
Kumati nivar sumati Ke sangi you are valiant and brave. On you attends good Sense
and Wisdom. You dispel the darkness of evil thoughts.

Kanchan varana viraja subesa Your physique is beautiful golden coloured and your dress
Kanan Kundal Kunchita Kesa is pretty. You wear ear rings and have long curly hair.

Hatha Vajra Aur Dhuvaje Viraje You carry in your hand a lightening bolt along with a victory
Kandhe moonj janehu sajai (kesari) flag and wear the sacred thread on your shoulder.

Sankara suvana kesari Nandana As a descendant of Lord Sankar, you are a comfort and pride
Teja pratapa maha jaga vandana of Shri Kesari. With the lustre of your Vast Sway, you are
propitiated all over the universe.

Vidyavan guni ati chatur You are the repository of learning, virtuous and fully accom-
Ram kaja karibe ko aatur plished, always keen to carry out the behest's of Shri Ram.

Prabu charitra sunibe ko rasiya You are an ardent listener, always so keen to listen to the
Ram Lakhana Sita mana Basiya narration of Shri Ram's Life Stories. Your heart is filled with
what Shri Ram stood for. You therefore always dwell in the
hearts of Shri Ram, Lakshman and Sita.
WEEK 2:
Sukshma roop dhari Siyahi
dikhava
Vikat roop dhari lanka jarava
Bhima roop dhari asura
sanghare
Ramachandra ke kaj sanvare
Laye Sanjivan Lakhana Jiyaye
Shri Raghuvir Harashi ur laye
Raghupati Kinhi bahut barai
Tuma mama priye Bharat-hi sam
said: "You are as dear to me as my own brother Bharat."
bhai
Sahas badana tumharo yasha
gaave
Asa kahi Shripati kanth lagaave
Sanakadik Brahmadi Muneesa
Narada Sarada sahita Aheesa
Yama Kuber Digpala Jahan te
Kavi kovid kahi sake kahan te
Tuma upkara Sugreevahin
keenha
Ram milaye rajpada deenha
You appeared before Sita in a Diminutive form and spoke to
her in humility. You assumed an awesome form and struck
terror by setting Lanka on fire.
With over-whelming might you destroyed the Asuras
(demons) and performed all tasks assigned to you by Shri Ram
with great skill.
You brought Sanjivan (A herb that revives life) and restored
Lakshman back to life, Shri Raghuvir (Shri Ram) cheerfully
embraced you with his heart full of joy.
Shri Raghupati (Shri Ram) lustily extolled your excellence and
Thousands of living beings are chanting hymns of your glories;
saying thus, Shri Ram warmly hugged him (Shri Hanuman).
When prophets like Sanka, even the Sage like Lord Brahma,
the great hermit Narad himself, Goddess Saraswati and Ahisha
(one of immeasurable dimensions).
Even Yamraj (God of Death) Kuber (God of Wealth) and the
Digpals (deputies guarding the four corners of the Universe)
have been vying with one another in offering homage to your
glories. How then, can a mere poet give adequate expression
of your super excellence?
You rendered a great service to Sugriv. You united him with
Shri Ram and he installed him on the Royal Throne. By heeding
WEEK 3

Tumharo mantra Vibheeshan By heeding your advice, Vibhishana became Lord of Lanka. This
mana is known

Lankeshwar Bhaye Saba jaga

all over the Universe.
jana

Yuga sahasra jojan par Bhanu On your own you dashed upon the Sun, which is at a fabulous
Leelyo tahi madhur phal janu distance of thousands of miles, thinking it to be a sweet
luscious fruit.

Prabhu mudrika meli mukh Carrying the Lord's Signet Ring in your mouth, there is
mahee
Jaladhi langhi gaye achraj nahee hardly any wonder that you easily leapt across the ocean.

Durgaam kaja jagat ke jete The burden of all difficult tasks of the world become light
Sugam anugraha tumhre tete with your kind grace.

Rama dware tum rakhvare, You are the sentry at the door of Shri Ram's Divine Abode.
Hoat na agya binu paisare No one can enter it without your permission,

Saba sukha lahai tumhari sarana All comforts of the world lie at your feet. The devotees enjoy all
Tum rakshak kahu ko dara na divine pleasures and feel fearless under your benign Protection.

Aapan tej samharo aapai You alone are befitted to carry your own splendid valour. All the
Teenhon loka hank te kampai three worlds (entire universe) tremor at your thunderous call.

Bhoota pisacha Nikata nahin

All the ghosts, demons and evil forces keep away, with the
aavai
Mahavira jaba naama sunavai sheer mention of your great name, O'Mahaveer!!
Week 4:

Nase roga harai saba peera All diseases, pain and suffering disappear on reciting regularly
Japata nirantara Hanumanta
Shri Hanuman's holy name.
beera

Those who remember Shri Hanuman in thought, words and

Sankaata te Hanumana chudavai deeds
Mana Krama Vachana dyan jo
with Sincerity and Faith, are rescued from all crises in life.
lavai

Saba para Rama tapasvee raja All who hail, worship and have faith in Shri Ram as the Supreme
Tina ke kaja sakala Tum saja Lord and the king of penance. You make all their difficult tasks
very easy.

Aura manorath jo koi lavai Whosoever comes to you for fulfillment of any desire with faith
Sohi amita jeevana phal pavai and sincerity, Will he alone secure the imperishable fruit of
human life.

Charon Yuga paratap tumhara All through the four ages your magnificent glory is acclaimed far
Hai persidha jagata ujiyara and wide. Your fame is Radiantly acclaimed all over the Cosmos.

You are Saviour and the guardian angel of Saints and Sages
Sadhu Sant ke tuma Rakhware and
Asur nikandan Ram dulhare destroy all Demons. You are the angelic darling of Shri Ram.

Ashta sidhi nav nidhi ke dhata You can grant to any one, any yogic power of Eight Siddhis
Asa var deena Janaki mata (power to become light and heavy at will) and Nine Nidhis
(Riches,comfort,power,prestige,fame,sweet relationship etc.)
This boon has been conferred upon you by Mother Janki.

Rama rasayana tumhare pasa You possess the power of devotion to Shri Ram. In all rebirths
Sada raho Raghupati ke dasa you will always remain Shri Raghupati's most dedicated disciple.
WEEK 5

Tumhare bhajana Rama ko pavai Through hymns sung in devotion to you, one can find Shri Ram
Janama janama ke dukh bisravai and become free from sufferings of several births.

Antha kaal Raghuvir pura jayee If at the time of death one enters the Divine Abode of Shri Ram,
Jahan janam Hari-Bakht
thereafter in all future births he is born as the Lord's devotee.
Kahayee

Aura Devata Chita na dharehi One need not entertain any other deity for Propitiation, as
Hanumanth se hi sarve sukh
devotion of Shri Hanuman alone can give all happiness.
karehi

Sankat kate mite saba peera One is freed from all the sufferings and ill fated contingencies of
rebirths in the world. One who adores and remembers Shri
Jo sumirai Hanumata Balbeera Hanuman.

Jai Jai Jai Hanuman Gosahin Hail, Hail, Hail, Shri Hanuman, Lord of senses. Let your victory
Kripa Karahu Gurudev ki nyahin over the evil be firm and final. Bless me in the capacity as my
supreme guru (teacher).

One who recites Chalisa one hundred times, becomes free from
Jo sata bara patha kare kohi the
Chutehi bandhi maha sukh hohi bondage of life and death and enjoys the highest bliss at last.

Jo yaha padhe Hanuman Chalisa All those who recite Hanuman Chalisa (The forty Chaupais)
regularly are sure to be benedicted. Such is the evidence of no
Hoye siddhi sakhi Gaureesa less a
witness as Bhagwan Sankar.

Tulsidas as a bonded slave of the Divine Master, stays

Tulsidas sada hari chera perpetually at
his feet, he prays "Oh Lord! You enshrine within my heart &
Keejai Dasa Hrdaye mein dera soul."